Since John and I have moved back into our home following Hurricane Helene and the long process of house restoration, I have been walking our dog, Gracie, through the neighborhood. As we walk, I notice the condition of the homes around us. Some houses have been bulldozed and reduced to empty lots. Others sit in the slow and careful process of restoration. And still others appear abandoned—quiet, empty, and showing no signs of life. Those empty houses stir something in my heart.
As we make the Lenten journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem and the cross, I cannot help but think about His experience of abandonment. As He hung on the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). Jesus understood what it meant to be forsaken. He felt it when many who once followed Him walked away. He felt it when His closest friends fell asleep in the garden of Gethsemane. He felt it when His disciples scattered in fear. And He felt it most deeply as He hung on the cross, bearing the weight of the world’s sin.
Perhaps you know that feeling. Maybe you have felt forsaken by family or friends. Maybe someone you trusted walked away when you needed them most. That kind of abandonment can lead to deep suffering and loneliness.
If so, take heart—Jesus understands. He knows the ache of being left behind. He knows the pain of human rejection. Yet even in that suffering, He never stopped making the journey the Father had called Him to make. He kept moving forward in obedience and love. When the burden grew heavy, He reached upward for strength—and the Father was always there.
Because of this, Jesus is not distant from our pain. He is acquainted with our suffering and present in our loneliness. When people around us fail us…When those we hoped would stay leave…When we feel forgotten or unseen…Jesus remains faithful.
Psalm 27:10 NLT The psalmist reminds us of this promise: “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.”
What a comforting truth. Even in the deepest moments of abandonment, we are never truly alone. The Lord draws near. He holds us close. He walks with us through the broken places and begins the work of restoration.
Just like the homes in our neighborhood that are slowly being rebuilt, God restores hearts that feel abandoned.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you know what it means to be forsaken and rejected. Thank you for understanding the pain we sometimes carry in our hearts. When we feel abandoned by others, remind us that you are near. Hold us close when we feel alone, and give us the strength to keep walking the path you have set before us. Restore the broken places in our hearts and fill us with the assurance of your abiding presence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.